World of Warcraft: Midnight’s Demon Hunter Changes are Unfair to Half the Playerbase

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At Gamescom Opening Night Live, it was officially unveiled that World of Warcraft‘s second expansion under the Worldsoul Saga is titled “Midnight.” This significant release invites fans to revisit Quel’thalas, Silvermoon, and Zul’Aman after nearly twenty years, as these zones have been thoroughly updated and enlarged. The ominous Xal’atath approaches the Sunwell, necessitating the combined efforts of Azeroth’s heroes – including Demon Hunters – to thwart her. In this expansion, the beloved Demon Hunter class in World of Warcraft will receive two exciting additions: the mid-range Void-themed Devourer specialization and the option for Void Elves to assume the role of them.

While these transformative changes to World of Warcraft’s Demon Hunter class are noteworthy, there’s a significant issue that stands out: Alliance players now have two choices for Demon Hunters, while the Horde is still limited to just one. Given the constraints on animations and lore, there are several other Horde races that could have been suitable matches for this class. Consequently, the upcoming advantage Alliance players will have with their Demon Hunters over Horde players may not be fair.

WoW: Midnight Breaks Demon Hunter Faction Balance

Alliance Gets a New Demon Hunter Race, But Horde Does Not

In World of Warcraft: Legion, Demon Hunters were initially exclusive to Night Elves from the Alliance and Blood Elves from the Horde, reflecting their historical connection to Illidan Stormrage’s acrobatic fighting style in Warcraft 3. This restriction was justified since it significantly reduced the number of unique animations that needed to be created for these characters.

Introducing the Void Elves – a subgroup that separated from the Blood Elves. In the game Battle for Azeroth, they became an Ally Race within the Alliance. Despite having distinct customization choices, their appearance is similar to their Blood Elf relatives. The questline “Ghosts of K’aresh” in World of Warcraft Patch 11.2 offers insight into how the Void Elves mastered Demon Hunter skills before Midnight, resolving both narrative and technical conundrums. Regrettably, no similar accommodations were made for the Horde.

Horde Races That Could Make Great Demon Hunters

  • Nightborne
  • Orcs
  • Mag’Har Orcs
  • Troll
  • Zandalari Troll

In the world of lore, several Horde races could excel as demon hunters due to their past conflicts with the Legion. Orcs, who have a deep-seated grudge against the Legion for their attempts at enslavement, are prime candidates. Trolls also share a history with the Legion, having an in-game class called Demoniac that predates High Elves. In popular card game Hearthstone, these races even have Demon Hunter representations.

It turns out that animating these character models to portray Demon Hunters was quite demanding, hence their absence from the game.

Nevertheless, this explanation doesn’t convince the Nightborne, as they share a common structure and movements with Night Elves, with only minor modifications. Additionally, it’s worth noting that during the Legion era, they had a strong bond with Fel magic and suffered significant corruption. Unfortunately, World of Warcraft has not hinted at the possibility of introducing Nightborne Demon Hunters in the future, despite the streamlined process.

Faction Bias in World of Warcraft

In World of Warcraft (WoW), it’s regrettable that there seems to be an imbalance in representation between factions, with the Alliance receiving more attention than the Horde. This is problematic because both sides have numerous races and characters. The developers at Blizzard have found it challenging to allocate equal screen time to all of them. For instance, in the recent expansion “The War Within”, Alliance characters like Alleria, Anduin, and Jaina have received considerable focus, while Horde heroes such as Thrall have been overlooked. To add insult to injury, there isn’t a single Horde character among the NPCs on K’aresh in WoW Patch 11.2, whereas the Alliance has several. This disparity is worth addressing to ensure a fair and balanced experience for all players.

It’s fortunate that Midnight appears to be addressing this inequality. In the stunning cinematic trailer for WoW: Midnight, we saw Liadrin and Lor’themar from the Horde take center stage, while Zul’Aman is shining a light on the Amani Trolls. It’s hoped that in the future, World of Warcraft might allow a Horde race such as the Nightborne to play Demon Hunters, thereby achieving a more balanced representation for both factions.

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2025-08-21 04:07